The world No3, Amélie Mauresmo, flew in at short notice yesterday to help save the Dubai Open after the late withdrawals of Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams and criticised some of her fellow players. It is the second successive year that the Frenchwoman has been called in to replace Williams in Dubai and, although she named no one, she suggested that "10 or 20% of leading players" were reneging on their commitments. "When I pull out of a tournament, I cannot play, there is no question of that," she said.

Top-10 player withdrawals from Tier One tournaments more than doubled last year and the WTA has introduced emergency measures for 2007 which combine a reduction in leading players' commitments with heavier fines for those who do not meet them. "Yeah, maybe fines don't get to a player the way they should," Mauresmo said. "But it's also a matter of respect and the way you've been raised as a kid."

Andy Murray will move closer to a place in the world's top 10 if he can continue his winning run when he plays the Canadian Frank Dancevic in the first round in Memphis today.